Chapter 71: Awakened

Lily found a quiet room away from prying eyes and slipped inside. She closed it behind her, put her back to the door, and screamed. She was going to lose her mind if this kept going on. She took the position at Chasel’s request and pleading. He’d promised to make himself available to her.
It wouldn’t be fair to blame him for the current state of things, but it certainly wasn’t her fault that the acting luna was an idiot.
She closed her eyes, counted to ten, and left the room, bracing for the next catastrophe she would have to deal with as Sarah came down the hall with a sullen expression. Her clothes were wet and stained. She was so deep in her sorrows; she hadn’t noticed Lily in her path until she nearly bumped into her.
“Oh, sorry…” Sarah said, her eyes a bit hazy. “I… wasn’t paying attention.”
“What happened?” Lily asked.
Sarah sighed, “… the prince’s wife.”
Lily winced. It had only been a few days since the wedding. Adolph had made a formal announcement regarding Tina’s sentence and Laurel’s condition, asking anyone who may know something about the assassination attempt to come forward.
No one had come forward with anything more than the fact that several people in the kingdom had reservations about having a teenager for a luna.
Sarah had exploded the first time she heard it from Sam who was helping take note of everything that was said by someone who came in. She felt it was ridiculous to judge Laurel’s ability to run the kingdom at Adolph’s side because of her age, especially when Basil had yet to lift a useful finger in all the time since he’d come of age and was currently letting his wife run the palace into the ground.
She went to the kitchens and found several members of the staff meeting.
“Where’s Maria?” Lily asked.
One of the servants scowled, “Maria has been dismissed by the luna.”
Lily’s eyes widened and she grit her teeth, “Where is she?”
“Maria or the luna?”
“Both.”
“The luna left, headed towards the gardens a few moments ago. Maria went to her room.”
“Sarah, go to Maria and tell her and whoever else has been let go on Lady Delia’s order to return to their posts.” Lily turned to the woman, “Please do your best to ensure lunch isn’t late for the soldiers.”
She nodded shakily and Lily went to go find Delia.
She found her quickly and approached her, “Lady Delia.”
Delia whirled at the voice, glaring at the woman, “You are dismissed. How dare you not call me by my proper title!”
“Your actions have disrupted the operations of the palace since you were named acting luna,” Lily said, barely holding her temper. “Instead of—“
“I can do what I want,” Delia hissed and glared at her. “And who are you to talk to me like this?”
“Basil,” Delia cried. “Did you hear that woman yelling at me? I’m just doing what I’m supposed to do as luna!”
Basil wrapped his arms around her and glared at Lily. Her shoulders grew tense and her eyes narrowed.
“She—“
“Quiet, servant!” Basil hissed. “You forget your place. You will treat my wife with the proper respect and do as she says.”
Lily lifted her chin. Her eyes were defiant and she shook as she stared up at him.
“Am I understood?”
Lily looked at him, “Perhaps we should take it up with His Majesty.”
“You’re going to blatantly disobey my orders?” Basil hissed. “Who do you think you are?”
“Miss Laurel—“
“Is not the luna! My wife is, so do as she says or find yourself thrown out of the castle!”
Lily turned, “Chasel.”
Basil turned as Chasel approached, dressed as if he’d just come from the training grounds.
“What is going on?”
“This servant doesn’t know her place!” Basil yelled. “I demand she be thrown out for disrespecting my wife and disobeying a royal order!”
Chasel lifted an eyebrow at him, “Lily was appointed to her position by His Majesty. You do not have the power to dismiss her.”
“You—“
“Lily,” Chasel said looking at Basil. “What is going on?”
“Of course, you listen to her!” Basil yelled. “What about Delia? She’s bullying her because of her position!”
“If you are done, Your Highness, I asked Lily a question,” Chasel said.
“The prince’s wife has tried to change the kitchen staff. She has told several key staff members that they would be fired. Without them, the army will not be fed and none of the meals will be served.”
“How is it my fault—”
“Stop interrupting, Lady Delia. You will have a chance to speak,” Chasel said in a cold tone. “Lily, you were saying.”
“When I tried to explain that, she told me it’s my job to replace the staff and not to bother her. She then proceeded to complain about why her food hadn't been brought to her chambers as she asked. She’s been completely disregarding the needs of the palace and the advice of the staff.”
Chasel gave Lily a wry smile. He was a bit impressed that she hadn’t lost her mind and clawed Delia’s face off. He supposed the fact that Laurel would eventually return was enough to keep her calm for now.
“And your side of the story, Lady Delia?”
“She’s obviously lying,” Basil said.
“How incompetent does the head maid get to be if she can’t keep the castle running with just a few missing people?” Delia hissed. “Those people were disrespectful and needed to be fired.”
Chasel sighed, rubbing his head, “How many people and who?”
“Maria to start,” Lily said and crossed her arms, “Then the first line chefs, at least four of the serving personnel…”
Chasel frowned as Lily went on, detailing Delia's spree of dismissals. There didn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to them, and he recognized some of the names from reports from Laurel about the shift in staffing.
“She was planning to rehire servants who Miss Laurel dismissed for laziness and misconduct,” Lily said, offering him the list.
Chasel looked at it, “For what reason?”
Delia huffed, “They were better servants, and they were fired unfairly!”
Chasel shook his head, “You’re overruled.”
“But—“
“Maria has been head of the kitchens and a member of the castle staff since the king was a child. If you would like to explain how your feelings are more important than the king’s comforts in this trying time, be my guest.”
Delia flinched as Chasel handed the parchment back to Lily.
“Lily, please do what you can to get things back in order. Having lunch served a bit late will be fine.”
He nodded and looked at Delia, “Since I have found you, there is a more pressing matter that concerns the acting luna to attend to. The heads of the orphanage, school, and the city’s large hospital are here to report.”
Delia huffed, “That’s not on my calendar.”
Chasel looked at her, “A calendar of upcoming meetings was provided to you and posted in your office. Are you saying you haven’t been in your office?”
“I’ve been busy!” Delia cried. “And I’m not Laurel! I want to do things my way!”
“You are filling in for Miss Laurel until she is well enough to take her position again. Please remember that and try not to cause more disruption,” Chasel said. “They’re being shown to your office. If you leave now, you’ll likely meet them in the hall.”
Basil stepped between them, “You can’t speak to my wife like that.”
Chasel gave him a calm look, “Would you like to explain why the army, while Miss Laurel was acting luna, never had a late meal and suddenly things have changed under your wife’s leadership?”
Basil clenched his jaw, “Chasel, you—“
“Or perhaps you want to explain why the head maid has to entertain obstruction of her duties?” Chasel said. “I assure you, I’ll be informing His Majesty of this.”
Chasel left, leaving Basil growling in frustration. Delia turned with a huff and stormed off towards her office. Basil followed her, finding the path uncanny.
She reached the door and for a moment, Laura was at the desk, looking up at her. Her green eyes shimmered with unshed tears.
There were three people there besides the guard who was waiting with them, two women and a man. Basil assumed they were the heads of the orphanage, school, and hospital.
“What do you think you’re doing bringing them to my office?” Delia asked.
One of the women frowned, “I believe there’s been a mistake… We were here to report to the luna, Miss Laurel.”
Delia shrieked, “I’m the luna, not Laurel!”
They looked at each other in confusion before the man spoke, “My apologies. We weren’t aware that Miss Laurel had abdicated the position. We’re here—“
“I don’t care,” Delia said, looking at them. “As far as I’m concerned the orphanage, the school, and the hospital are all a waste of the royal budget. Whatever money has been allocated to you will be confiscated by the end of the day.”
Basil watched each of them gasp in shock, “But Miss Laurel—”
“Get them out of my office!”